Play Your Cards Right
by Angelikah
Summary: There isn't much for a fighter pilot to do on a spaceship when not in battle, but Caroline is certain that acting on her feelings for her superior officer is not a good option to pass the time, no matter how much fun it is to tease him. As the reasons to resist begin to crumble one by one, she finds herself tempted to give in, but will she?
1. Chapter 1

This is a present for Melissa and Laura, who are both fabulous human beings. It'll be short, probably around three parts. It's inspired by Battlestar Galactica, but loosely enough that you could look at it and think "Klaroline in a space war" and totally be able to keep up.

I hope you enjoy it :)

* * *

"I have to _what_?"

"Making me repeat it for dramatic effect won't change my statement, Lieutenant," Ansel said dryly, and Caroline wrinkled her nose, crossing her arms.

"I'm not a great teacher."

"You were a flight instructor for years."

"Yeah, and look how that turned out," she said, her voice so quiet that it was barely audible.

He gave her a sympathetic look, the pain in his eyes mirroring her own, and she felt more than a bit tactless.

"You won't be alone. You'll have Klaus to help you."

"Oh, well I can't wait," Caroline said, trying to break the tension with the sarcasm thick in her tone, and she knew it was only by virtue of her being practically family that kept her from getting a sharp slap on the wrist and possibly a night in the brig they reserved for soldiers who needed a reminder of who was in charge.

He gave her a level look that told her she was on thin ice and she sighed, standing up. "Fine. I'll go look through my old lesson plans. We'll have to get a viper refurbished to take them out in, and I'm not giving anyone a go to fly unless _I_ think they're ready. I don't care what tests they pass or how fast we need people. I'll only teach if you can promise me that they don't go out without my approval."

"Agreed," Ansel said with a sharp nod, and she saluted before leaving, trying not to let the dread well up inside of her.

Klaus was leaning against the wall outside of the Commander's office, his arms crossed over his chest. "Hello, love."

"Get the recruits and meet me in the briefing room in the right wing," she said grumpily, stiffening at his raised eyebrow. "Sir," she added, unable to suppress the sarcasm in her voice.

He'd just been promoted a week or so ago, and had taken great pleasure in rubbing it in her face, reminding her to follow protocol or he could throw her in the brig. They both knew he wouldn't, but she knew Ansel totally would if word got back to him that she was purposefully undermining Klaus's authority.

She also suspected he had a _thing_ for her calling him by his title, but had decided not to pursue that line of thought, lest she wake up next to Tyler with slick inner thighs and her new superior's name on her lips. Tyler had always been more than a little jealous of the on-again-off-again half-friends-half-enemies connection that she and Klaus had, and she tried not to exacerbate it by giving him any reason to think she had feelings for Klaus.

Because she didn't, obviously.

Not one bit.

"I'll excuse the lack of politeness since you've obviously been given such terrible news," he said, shooting her a teasing grin, and she had to fight down a smile.

"Yes. I'll never survive."

"We'll, you've not died so far despite your obvious death wish."

There was a tone in his voice that she didn't like, almost as though he was irritated with her, though he sounded enough like he was joking that she couldn't call him out on it. "I don't have a death wish, Klaus. I'm just following the orders the higher-ups, including your dad, give me."

"Since when do you follow orders, sweetheart?"

"From the higher ranks? Always, within reason."

"I'm a higher rank now, Caroline. Be careful or I might start putting you on the dangerous ones to get you out of my hair."

She rolled her eyes. "As if. You like me too much."

She'd expected him to shoot back a witty retort, to tell her that he'd be doing what was best for their people, but instead he gave her a look that made her feel uncomfortably bare. "One must occasionally put their personal bias aside for the good of their people," he said quietly, his eyes full of too much affection to be teasing, and she looked away hurriedly. "But you're lucky that I do find you enjoyable enough to keep around."

She swallowed. "Yeah. Anyway, I'll go get my notes. Get the recruits please, _Sir_."

She walked away before he could respond, resisting the urge to glance back at him, not wanting to see the look on his face in case the feelings she hadn't realized he had were painted too plainly. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she slumped against her bunk door when she closed it behind her, taking a few deep breaths.

She knew he wanted her. They'd never been able to be 'just friends', the tension between them too hot and invasive, but she'd never realized that his desire was deeper than lust. There was no mistaking the way he looked at her just moments before, though. That kind of affection was dangerous, especially in their line of work. With the constant attacks by their enemies, she never had any way of knowing whether Klaus would come back from missions (or whether she would survive hers).

She knew that if she got too attached she wouldn't be able to handle watching him strap himself into a jet and not know if he'd come back. And she wasn't attached yet, she insisted to herself. Klaus was a coworker, a friend with the potential of something more, but she'd never let them realize that potential if she had anything to say about it.

She didn't know if she could handle it.

On a more practical note, Klaus had a lot more power than she did. His father was the general, and he was a higher rank than her now. Klaus was ruthless if slighted, petty and mean-spirited at his worst, and she had no desire to walk on eggshells for fear of becoming a casualty of his spite. She also knew that on the flipside of the coin, he was incredibly protective of those he cared for, and he already lobbied against her taking the most dangerous missions. She had no idea how much more he'd try to shield her if they got together, but she had a feeling that a padded cage and low-risk missions would be in her future.

She grimaced at the thought.

Okay, so maybe she was being too hard on him with the cage thing. He'd never tried to take her choices away, and even when she insisted on taking the most dangerous risks, he wouldn't interfere once he made his concerns known. Still, she doubted he'd be all that happy if she decided to take too many risks. She knew that if she gave into her feelings she wouldn't want him going on dangerous missions either.

And there was Tyler, she thought belatedly, making her feel a little ashamed.

Her boyfriend had been more tolerant of her and Klaus's unconventional friendship than she'd thought he would be when he'd asked her out, and she thought their relationship was progressing nicely. She liked him a lot and enjoyed spending time with him, and she knew he felt the same. Sure, she occasionally wished that his brown eyes could lighten to blue and his voice would soften into an accented lisped drawl, but she'd long ago decided that it was just lust...

Pushing the thoughts from her mind, she bent over the large chest of keepsakes she kept at the foot of her bed, rifling through her diploma from flight school and some various papers and photographs before she finally found the binder she used to hold her lesson plans when she taught at flight school.

She quickly scanned the contents as she walked to the briefing room, and she found a bunch of recruits filling the cheap chairs in ill-fitting uniforms that were clearly hand-me-downs from other soldiers. Klaus was standing at the front silently, observing them all with sharp eyes, and she had no doubt that Klaus told them to sit and be quiet while they waited. She sighed, walking to the front of the room and looking at all of them.

"Thank you for volunteering for our air force," she said quietly, feeling everyone's eyes on her. "Your service is appreciated. You should know that now that you've volunteered, you're like any other member of the military. You will not leave service until you're discharged. Is that understood?"

There was a low murmur of affirmatives, and she frowned, knowing she had to establish her authority early. "I said is that understood?"

"Yes," everyone chorused.

"I'm a higher rank than you, therefore my title is 'Sir' or "Lieutenant'," she said sharply. "Let's try that again."

"Yes, sir."

"Good," she said with a nod before walking to the blackboard at the back usually used for tactics. "Now, I'm going to go over some basic rules and regulations for you and then we're going to go look at a few jets and I'll show you how to fly a viper. We need to get you trained quickly, so I suggest you keep up. Anyone who can't will be moved to another branch where they can make a difference in some other job. Sass or backtalk of any kind will not be tolerated, and I will throw you in the brig if you're too mouthy with me."

She heard Klaus chuckle and shot him a glare before turning back to the new students. "Let's start."

She spent eight hours talking to them about flight safety and showing them the practice controls for a viper before sending them to shower and sleep, warning them they'd have an early morning.

Klaus stuck behind though, and she looked at him warily as he approached after shutting the door behind the last recruit. "What?"

"You were too nice to them," he said. "They won't respect you if you're such a pushover."

"And what do you know about respect?" she shot back, looking up at him.

"Everyone obeys my orders, so I'd think quite a bit."

"They're afraid of you," Caroline said, shuffling the papers, more for something to do than because they weren't already straight. "It's different."

He pressed his lips together in a thin line, and she could see his walls going up, could see him getting defensive. "And what's wrong with that? It gets the desired results."

"Okay, so they listen to you, but who do you think they'd be more loyal to? You or someone they respected?"

They stared at each other, electricity crackling between them, and Klaus stayed silent, though he was looking at her with a greed that made a shiver run down her spine, as though he was considering how she'd answer the question. Caroline fought down a flush, pressing her lips together and looking back down at her notes. "Exactly," Caroline said with finality, knowing she'd proved her point.

"Be careful, Caroline. Wouldn't want me to have to throw you in the brig for disrespect."

His tone was deceptively mild, and she could hear undercurrent of danger, but she was unable to hold back a laugh as she looked up at him. "We both know you like me being honest with you too much to punish me for it."

"True enough," he said, but her smile faltered when he didn't give her one in return, his eyes calculating, almost surprised. It was as though he had just realized something and wasn't sure how to process it.

Before she could comment he'd walked past her and through the door. It closed behind him with a metallic clack, leaving her alone and confused in the briefing room as she tried to figure out what had made him leave so abruptly.

XXX

Caroline laughed at Tyler's joke, leaning against him slightly, as she glanced around the table. They were playing poker with the rest of the squad, as they usually did on Saturday nights, though most people were sitting out, too tired from the training that day. She had a straight, and judging by her read of everyone else she was going to win the round, so she wasn't all that concerned. She was still avoiding Klaus's eyes though.

Though he'd come up to her the day after he'd walked out on her and started a conversation as though nothing had happened, she'd still been wary around him. It didn't help that he'd always been the only one who could read her when they played cards, even when she kept a straight face, and she wanted to win the cigars off of him that Tyler had lost their first round.

Jeremy told them to lay down their cards and she was unable to restrain a triumphant smile, which dropped as soon as she saw Klaus's hand.

"Straight flush," Klaus said quietly, his eyes never leaving her face, keeping eye contact as she set her cards on the table. She weighed her options. Did she want to hand over the whiskey? It was her favorite, and really rare on the ship, only obtainable through the black market or gambling. Instead, she caught the hem of her tank top between her fingers. His eyes widened a fraction before his expression cleared. "I'll have the whiskey bottle then, sweetheart."

"I didn't know you got to choose," she said, tilting her head to the side as she edged the fabric slowly up her abdomen.

"I simply thought you'd prefer handing over the bottle than your shirt."

Her lips curled in a smile. She knew he was aware that she had no problem stripping front of half of the pilots. If anything it would help her game, and she was nothing if not competitive. Maybe he thought he'd be one of the drooling idiots that couldn't bluff because they were too distracted by boobs?

"Then you don't know me very well, Sir," she said, giving him a pointed up-and-down look, her voice dropping at the title in a way that could pass for mocking but still made him swallow, his tongue darting out to lick his lips.

She heard scattered laughs and shot Tyler a heated look as she tugged off her top in one smooth movement and tossed the cloth at Klaus before stretching, arching her back slightly. Her breath caught when her eyes met Klaus's. She'd expected irritation and perhaps a bit of heat, but he was eyeing at her like he wanted to _consume_ her, shooting a warning look at a subordinate pilot who had wolf-whistled, the boy's ears turning pink as he quickly moved his gaze to the floor.

She felt the heat of Tyler's hand on the small of her back, giggled at the whispered complaint of what she was doing to him, and glanced back at Klaus to see him with his jaw clenched, his body stiff. He wasn't looking at her though, too busy giving Tyler the filthiest look she'd ever seen him wear (which was saying something). He was _jealous_ , she realized.

There was a stab of heat in her lower belly that made her thighs press together instinctively, her core suddenly achingly empty, and Tyler had clearly sensed the movement by the way he laughed quietly, laying a hand on her leg, his thumb brushing along the sensitive dip of her knee. "Do you want to get out of here, babe?"

She bit her lip, shaking her head, unable to tear her eyes away from Klaus's as she spoke. "Not yet. Anticipation makes it hotter, and I like making you squirm."

She felt soft lips against the juncture of her neck and jaw and shivered, finding herself wishing there was a scratch of stubble against her sensitive skin in addition to the quick flick of the tip of a tongue. Her nipples pebbled at the thought.

Klaus looked livid.

"Another hand?" he growled, his eyes glittering, and she nodded, unable to resist bending over just a bit too far to push her cards in his direction. His eyes lingered on the scalloped lace framing her cleavage as he pulled her cards towards him. "Do you normally wear lace under your uniform, love?"

"Do you normally think about what I wear under my uniform?" she asked with a raised eyebrow, and he smirked, absently shuffling the cards as he just looked at her, not answering.

She fought down an unexpected flush at the way his eyes burned her skin, hoping that anyone who could see her cheeks pinking would attribute it to the heat from all the people packed into such a tiny space, but Klaus seemed to read her easily, his smirk turning into a wicked smile that sent heat straight to her lower belly.

"It's your deal," she said, her voice embarrassingly breathless, and he nodded, shuffling. She couldn't help but let her gaze land on his long artist fingers as they wrapped around the cards, the way he spun them in his hands as he slid them to each person, and she wondered if they'd be just as nimble between her thighs.

She found herself wishing she'd taken Tyler up on his offer to leave.

She swallowed as she picked up her cards, keeping her face blank as she studied them and forcing herself not to glance up at Klaus, despite feeling his eyes on her. She considered her options, her teeth sinking into her lower lip as she weighed her odds of winning the hand. Before they'd had to escape from their home planet, poker had been different. There were rounds of betting, and there was more strategy involved. The game was much simpler now due to the lack of valuables. If you thought you'd lose, you folded. If you thought you could win, you stayed in the game. Everyone who stayed in the game who lost had to give something over to the winner. If everyone folded, the winner got something from everyone.

She hesitantly glanced at Klaus to see his facial expression, looking for clues to what she might want to do. He stared back at her, face carefully blank, though eyes were dark with want.

She quickly turned to glance at Tyler, Jeremy, and Matt, the other pilots playing. Tyler would fold, judging by the set of his jaw, and she had a feeling that Jeremy would try to bluff (rookie mistake when playing with Klaus, but if she won she'd be happy to take the small bottle of salt that he'd won off of Matt two rounds before).

Matt had already thrown his cards down, and Caroline smiled slightly as she looked back at her hand, knowing Klaus had caught the movement judging by the way he stiffened slightly. "Everyone else staying in the game?" he asked, his voice mild, and Tyler hesitated before nodding.

"I'll trade three," he said putting his cards down, and Klaus obligingly dealt out three cards for him. Tyler glanced at them and sighed, folding with a grimace.

Jeremy stayed in after trading two, his brow slightly furrowed. "All right, then. Let's see them, then."

They laid down their cards and Caroline grinned once she glanced at them. "Fork over the salt, Private," she said, smirking as she wriggled her fingers, and Jeremy groaned before passing it to her. She turned to ask Klaus for the cigars he'd won from Tyler, but her mouth went dry when she saw him peeling his shirt off instead, dropping it to the floor.

She'd seen him shirtless before, of course, but there was something about him sitting in front of her with a challenging gleam in his eye and his stupid leather necklaces dangling around his neck against his bare chest that made her want to drag him off to the nearest bunk and map every inch of skin with her fingers and tongue.

"Should I deal the next hand?" Tyler asked beside her and she felt herself pulled back to the present. He looked annoyed, but she leaned over to press a soft kiss to his cheek and whisper that they'd leave soon, unable to resist glancing at Klaus's darkened expression as she did it. There was something possessive and primal in his eyes that made her still, her lips parting slightly as her breath caught.

"Sure, mate," Klaus said, passing him the deck.

Caroline glanced at her cards once Tyler passed them out, inwardly groaning at the clear low score. She was about to fold when she caught Klaus's eye, and she found herself tempted to stay in the game, just to see what his reaction would be if she lost again.

Five minutes later she stood to shimmy out of her cargo pants, taking the time to fold them neatly and set them by her chair, looking at Klaus through the corner of her eye as he licked his lips, the tension crackling between them.

There was no way Tyler (and everyone else) hadn't noticed the eyefucking, but no one mentioned it, and Tyler curled his fingers through hers when she sat back down, squeezing lightly. She could have sworn that Klaus _growled_ when she reached for the cards to deal the next round, and she folded early, not wanting to lose anything she'd won or shed more clothing.

"Want to get out of here?" Caroline asked once Matt had collected a small bottle of whiskey and a small box of cigars, not bothering to lower her voice, and Tyler nodded, standing and reaching for her pants on the floor, swiping her shirt from across the table before handing them to her. She thanked him and put them on, let him place a hand possessively on her hip, though it slid just a bit to land on her ass when they started to walk. She couldn't resist glancing behind them at Klaus as they left.

His jaw was tight, his eyes dark and glittering with desire, and she failed to fight down a smirk as she turned away, trying to ignore the insistent throbbing between her thighs.

* * *

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it!

Please let me know your thoughts. Did you have a favorite part or line of dialogue? Something you thought I might be able to improve on? A favorite scene between the training and the poker? Any predictions for how they'll get together? I'm excited to hear what you guys think! :D


	2. Chapter 2

I hadn't realized that it had been so long since I updated this, so I sat down and finished this. Sorry for the wait :(

Thank you to chica-cherry-lola for gently poking me to write more of this. It's a little rough, but I hope you all enjoy it ;)

* * *

Klaus looked up as the door to his office burst open, Caroline stomping through with her fists clenched, eyes on fire.

"Seriously?"

"I'd assume so, but if you'd like a more accurate answer I suggest you clarify your question."

"You're sending Tyler on that...that _suicide mission_?"

"Yes. Seriously."

"Why?" she asked, and he felt a sudden stab of regret when her voice hitched slightly.

He steeled himself for what would likely be a screaming match. "Someone has to go, love."

"That someone doesn't have to be him."

"Why not? He's a decent enough flier and if it goes pear-shaped we won't be left undefended."

He did hope she'd see sense, but judging by the gleam in her eye, the shift in her stance, he was about to be disappointed. "There are lots of decent fliers."

"Yes, and he's one of them."

"So then why him? Why can't you use someone else?"

"Why should I? Tyler's qualified."

"Because you're letting your emotions get in the way of your job," she said quietly, pinning him with a cold stare.

"How so?"

"You're jealous," she said, meeting his gaze confidently without a hint of a smile. "It's not attractive."

He forced a laugh that came out sounding a lot more bitter than he'd intended, his spine straightening as he stared her down. "Oh, sweetheart," he whispered. "We both know that there's no reason for me to be jealous."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"There's no point in being jealous of a relationship we both know has an expiry date."

She swelled to her full height, only an inch or so lower than him, though she didn't talk, letting the filthy look she shot him speak volumes, though he could see the flash of insecurity, the fear behind the anger. He honestly hadn't been certain, but from her reaction he knew he'd been right about her feelings for him, had tapped into a weakness that she hadn't wanted to reveal. She wanted him, and it was as exhilarating as it was terrifying. He'd loathed himself for pining after her for so long, and it was a relief to know that she returned his feelings, even if it was reluctant.

"I love Tyler."

"Do you really? Or do you love the shield he gives you when you're trying desperately to dig in your heels and resist the temptation that I bring? I see the way you look at me, Caroline. We both know that you're not as indifferent as you wish you were. Not anymore."

Her lips quirked in a smile that did nothing to distract from the tension in the way she held herself. "Someone's overconfident."

"Am I?" he asked, his tone deceptively light.

She took a step toward him, so close that her nose was practically touching his, breath hot on his lips. "The point is that you sent my boyfriend on a suicide mission."

"Because it's my job," he said. "I have to make decisions like this, and Tyler was an appropriate option."

And maybe he'd lied and he was a little jealous, and from the way he snarled Tyler's name, he knew Caroline had an inkling of what he was feeling, that he wasn't as nonchalant about her relationship as he was pretending to be. She could always see right through him, and even though he knew it still always caught him off-guard whenever she read the subtleties of his expressions.

"Don't make me tell your father that you're abusing your power, _Sir_ ," she hissed, and his cock twitched at the fire in her eyes, the tension in her body. He stared at her and watched her eyes darken, her gaze darting down to his lips and back to meet his eyes. He heard the hitch in her breath before she swallowed audibly, clearly only just realizing how close they were.

His lips pulled into a smirk. "Who do you think rubber-stamped the order, love?"

Her shoulders stiffened, her fingers brushing his leg with a light touch that only turned him on more. She curled her hands into fists. "I cannot believe you."

He fought to stay calm, to stare her down coldly despite every inch of him craving to pull her into his arms and stroke her hair and feel her soft curves slump against him as she calmed. He'd held her before, years ago when Kol had the accident, and the only bright spot in the months of grief was that one bright moment when she'd let her guard down.

He could be patient, could wait for her to come to her senses and realize that giving into her feelings for him might not be so bad. It was just a matter of time.

"Aren't you supposed to be on duty?" he asked leaning forward slightly so that he was a hair's breadth away from kissing her, just curious about what her reaction would be and taking a bit too much satisfaction from the way she stepped back hastily, her arms crossing protectively over her chest.

"Yes."

"Do I need to throw you in the brig to remind—"

"That would be a little counter-productive to me being on duty, don't you think?" she asked, not waiting for him to answer before she stalked out, her head held high, and he was forced to wonder, yet again, how she'd managed to get the last word and wreck him while doing it.

XXX

Caroline rolled her shoulders, bouncing on the balls of her feet as she stared down Katherine, who was eyeing her with a mixture of trepidation and determination. Caroline kept eye contact with the other girl as she lifted her hands held up in the sparring position, careful to keep the large red gloves in a position where she could still see her opponent, waiting for her to make the first move.

Tyler was staying back at the barracks to pack, and he'd convinced her to go to the knockout tournament anyway. So, here she was, getting ready to knock Katherine Pierce out cold.

They stood there for awhile as the people cheered around them, just staring at each other. Caroline was patient, knew that things always ended better if she let the other person throw the first punch, and Katherine was getting progressively more restless, shifting from foot to foot. The waiting paid off when Katherine lunged, and Caroline dodged, using the weight Katherine had shifted to throw the other girl against the railings and punch her in the jaw.

Katherine threw up her hands to signal surrender, and Caroline backed up, trying not to smile too much. Adrenaline was rushing through her, the energy almost too much, and she took a deep breath to calm herself before feeling all of it rush back.

Klaus had just entered, already shirtless and wearing pants that sat low on his hips, wrapping his hands in long strips of white cloth and flexing his fingers. She was still standing in the middle of the ring when he looked up, meeting her eyes, and she felt range bubble underneath the surface of her skin.

She wasn't even sure what exactly she was angry about. She was upset he sent Tyler on the mission, but she knew that he was doing his job, and if it hadn't been Tyler it would have been someone else in their fleet, someone that she cared about.

Okay, maybe she was sure. That _knowing_ look in his eyes when he'd told her there was no need to be jealous, the way he'd smirked, like he knew her feelings better than she did (and maybe he did, but that wasn't the point). She just wanted to punch his stupid smirky face. So she would,

"Captain!" she called, her voice mocking, waving at him, and he exchanged a look with Stefan, who nodded and wrote his name on the tournament board, slashing through Katherine's to move Caroline on to the next round. The first person Klaus was facing was Stefan's brother Damon, and Caroline suppressed a shiver of disgust as his eyes raked up and down her form as he moved by her into the ring, adjusting his gloves. He'd grabbed her ass when she was coming out of the showers after a training day once and his face had promptly been smushed against the wall. She still remembered Klaus's face when he'd done it, the way he'd cooly let Damon slump to the floor and glanced at her, his eyes searching her face before he turned and walked away. It had been kind of scary, the way he'd shut down like that, but at the same time it had been kind of nice for someone to be so outraged on her behalf.

From then on Klaus had sent him on the most dangerous missions (probably low-key hoping he'd get killed, because Caroline certainly did), but Damon was a bad enough flier that he couldn't send him on the important ones, so he always seemed to survive by the skin of his teeth. He was like a cockroach.

Klaus would totally kick his ass, and no matter how mad she was at him, she was totally here for Damon being in pain.

"Your boyfriend's going down, Blondie," Damon said with a wink, and she stiffened, her leg halfway out of the ring before she turned to glare at him.

"Tyler will be fine," she said, her voice shaking, and Damon threw his head back and laughed.

"No, not him. Klaus."

Caroline huffed and tossed her hair, turning away enough that Damon would think she wasn't going to dignify his comment with a response before driving her fist into his obnoxiously prominent cheekbone. He let out an embarrassingly high-pitched yelp of pain.

"Oops," Caroline said unrepentantly, sliding out of the ring without waiting for his response, and she turned to see Klaus eyeing Damon with an intense amount of dislike. He glanced at her, his expression blank, eyes shuttered, but when the bell rang it only took a quick three punches for Damon to be out cold.

The next four matches were also quick, and though Caroline usually kept an eye on her competition, looking for weaknesses to exploit if they fought, she found her gaze drifting to Klaus when she should have been observing her fellow officers. He was leaning against the wall with a drink in his hand. She suspected that if anyone else saw him they'd think he was relaxed, just chatting with another officer. She could see the stiffness of his spine, though. The way his hands twitched whenever he glanced up and caught her eye.

She felt flushed and hot after the first twenty minutes of waiting, rationalizing that the room was full of people and was bound to be stifling because of all of the physical activity, but she knew it was also the way Klaus kept looking at her, his eyes dragging up and down her form in a way that could have been compared to the way Damon eyed her lasciviously, but somehow Klaus made her feel sexy where Damon had made her feel small.

She hated him for it, hated that he could make her hot and bothered and _wanting_ with just a glance, that he seemed to know all the right buttons to push, that he'd _sent her boyfriend off on a suicide mission_. That he wasn't sorry.

By the time the final round came up, Caroline had worked herself into a dangerous fury, all of her pent-up emotions swirling inside of her, and she bared her teeth as Klaus climbed through the ropes of the ring to face her, adjusting his gloves.

"Hello, love," he said, his voice light, and her breath caught.

"You ready?" she asked, and his lips twitched, his eyes flicking up to meet hers.

"I am."

She shifted her weight from foot to foot, bringing her fists up to protect her face when Stefan shouted, "Go!"

They sized each other up, the seconds too long and the room too hot, air pressing uncomfortably against her skin. He was smiling at her, a real smile with his dimples cutting into his cheeks, his eyes sparkling, and she was just so _angry_.

He was so smug and knew her so well and she _hated it._

"What are you waiting for?" she asked after they'd stood there for a good thirty seconds.

"You," he said simply, his hands never wavering from their defensive position.

They continued standing there, frozen, and all it did was make the feelings within her stir more forcefully, her anger growing.

"I didn't come here to watch you two eyefuck!" Katherine shouted from the crowd, still holding ice to her jaw, and Caroline snapped at her to shut up, but Klaus just smirked at her.

"Now, I'm perfectly fine with that."

"I bet you are," Caroline muttered, tossing her hair as she took a step towards him. His eyes were stuck on her as she moved, and he dodged her first two punches, his gaze glued to the way her body twisted. It made her cheeks flush, her breathing stutter in her chest. "Why aren't you fighting back?" she demanded as he dodged another punch. "That's the point! Hit me!"

He was silent, neatly evading every single hit she tried to get in, and she found herself breathing hard as he backed her up to the edge of the ring. He was every inch a predator despite her being the one trying to land a punch, his body tense as he invaded her personal space. He was close enough that it would be almost impossible to miss, and her cushioned fist collided with his cheek with a harsh thump. He groaned, spitting out some blood to the side before turning to look at her, his expression unreadable. She gasped as he grabbed her wrists (when had his gloves come off?) and loomed over her, his body firm against hers as he pressed as close to her as possible. She stiffened when their eyes locked, and he tightened his grip on her wrists when she tried t o pull away.

"What are you doing?"

She meant for her tone to be demanding, to threaten, but instead it came out a bit breathless. His palms were warm clamped around her wrists, his thumbs brushing over her pulse in a light touch that made her nipples tighten, his eyes dark. Her breath hitched as he bent forward, his stubble scratching against her cheek as he moved to nip her ear, his voice soft when he spoke. "I'm not going to hurt you, Caroline."

"It's a competition," she pointed out, naturally leaning into him, relaxing into his touch.

Everyone around them seemed to melt away as he pulled back and searched her gaze, his blue eyes almost hypnotic in the way they scanned her face. He drank her in, his lips slightly parted, tongue darting over his lips like he was wondering how she tasted, and she knew she should rip herself away, back up and _leave_ , but she couldn't find the motivation to.

"It is," he agreed with the smallest of nods, and his eyes darted down to her lips before meeting hers again, the pull between them too intense to ignore, sparks seeming to ignite underneath her skin as she longed to touch every part of him.

She wondered if his lips tasted as sweet as they did in the dreams she tried her best to forget.

"Still eyefucking!" Katherine shouted, and Klaus let go of Caroline to turn and shoot Katherine a dirty look, hissing out a reprimand.

Caroline found herself jerked back to reality, her face flushing when she realized that literally the entire squad had just watched her and Klaus exchange a whispered conversation, probably while looking like they were about to fuck on the boxing ring floor. Tyler, her _boyfriend_ , was going out on a suicide mission the next morning, and Klaus had made her forget. Had made her _forgive him_ when he was the one who sent Tyler off.

She didn't even wait for Klaus to turn around before she nailed him in the jaw.

He hissed in pain, backing up a few paces, and she smirked, stretching. "Does that mean I win?" she asked, her tone a bit too malicious to be considered cheerful, but he looked like he was having the time of his life despite the blood dripping out of his mouth down his chin.

"I suppose I do surrender, love. For now."

She shivered at the way his eyes raked over her, the way the endearment fell off of his tongue. He seemed to notice, his lips quirking, and though Stefan was busy announcing over the loudspeaker that she'd won and listing how much money was in the prize pool, she kind of wanted to punch the stupid smug smile off his face.

Instead she climbed through the ropes without another word and walked to Stefan, snatching her prize money away before turning on her heel to leave. She had a boyfriend to prepare for send-off, and if she had anything to say about it, their night would be memorable enough to sustain both of them through his absence.

And if she closed her eyes while Tyler filled her to imagine it was another man's stubbled cheek brushing against her neck as his tongue laved her pulse point, that was fine. A little harmless fantasizing never hurt anyone, right?

It didn't change how guilty she felt when Tyler finally rolled off of her, both of them sweaty and sated.

XXX

"I love you," Caroline whispered, pressing her forehead against Tyler's shoulder and closing her eyes as he wrapped his arms around her.

"I love you too, babe."

It wasn't a lie. She did love him, and she was nervous to watch him go, but she'd been thinking about Klaus's words to her the day before, and she was struggling to keep denying that she might not love Tyler _enough_. Not as much as she should.

She and Tyler hadn't always gotten along. He was bad-tempered and hot-headed for a long time. He'd calmed though, had over time grown into a man who had every reason to be her first choice. He was kind and attentive, he listened to her, made her laugh... But no matter how often she told herself that he was exactly what she wanted, she always had the underlying truth bubbling under the denial that he was good, but he wasn't _right._

And Klaus...

There were so many reasons why he couldn't be an option, but every part of her craved him in a way that made her deeply uncomfortable. They'd always been friends to a point, flirting endlessly and fighting constantly, yes, but she enjoyed spending time with him when he wasn't being a total douchebag. Still, they always toed the line, never quite crossing the boundary between frenemies and...frenemies with benefits? Fuckbuddies?

Lovers?

She wasn't sure what they would be if she caved, but knew Klaus well enough to understand that he thought he'd made his feelings perfectly clear and his intention was to tempt her into admitting what they both knew she wanted.

"...be back in a few days. I promise I'll be okay," Tyler was saying as he stroked her hair. "Klaus wouldn't have sent me if he didn't think I could do it."

"He sent you because he's a jealous ass," Caroline mumbled, and she heard Tyler laugh quietly.

"He wouldn't have sent me just for that. We don't have enough people as it is, and this is an important mission. Yeah, he's jealous, but I have you for now, and I'm going to enjoy every second."

"For now?" she asked, her brow furrowed as she pulled away. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"This isn't a conversation to have right before I leave."

She debated pushing the subject, but she knew Tyler was right, no matter how curious she was. It'd be better if he wasn't sent on what could very well be a suicide mission weighed down with emotional baggage.

"Then you'd better come back," she settled on, standing on her toes to kiss him. "Good luck."

She let go and watched him get into the Viper, the lid closing on top of him before the jet slowly rose into the air and sped off through the gateway, and felt a heat prickle at the back of her eyes, not quite knowing why she was about to cry but overwhelmed with conflicting feelings about what felt like _everything_. She swallowed, trying to hold them back, and stiffened when she felt someone's eyes on her. She turned to see Klaus watching her, his expression uncharacteristically unreadable.

"What?" she snapped, her tone a bit harsher than she intended, and she winced at the flash of surprise that flitted across his face, her shoulders slumping. "Sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you."

"No need to apologize, sweetheart. It's clear you're stressed," he said, though his dry tone didn't match his words.

"No, it was rude," she said firmly, giving him a wan smile and turning to walk away, and she stiffened when Klaus took her arm in a gentle grip and tugged her to him, his arms wrapping around her, and she buried her face in his neck almost automatically, her fingers winding into the back of his henley.

"I wouldn't have sent him if I didn't think he'd come back alive," Klaus whispered as he rubbed her back, and she hadn't realized how much she _needed_ this, his touch, his scent, the sound of his voice.

"I know," she said, and somehow just the act of talking made her tears spill over, and she found herself sobbing into his shoulder, just so _tired_ of her conflicted feelings and responsibilities and pretending to be okay all the time and just _everything_ , and Klaus had always understood.

She pulled away at that thought, suddenly feeling a bit sick. Tyler had _just flown off_ and she was sobbing into Klaus's shirt and savoring the feel of him and _god_ she was a terrible person.

"I have to go," she said, her voice cracking, and she walked away without another word.

She had some thinking to do, and she had no desire to do it. She just needed to get _away_.

XXX

"Have you seen Caroline?" Klaus asked, poking his head into his father's office. "I need to tell her whose names I'm submitting for the attack."

"She left this morning," Ansel said, looking at Klaus with mild surprise. "On that mission, actually. She told me she'd cleared it with you. I was surprised since it's so dangerous, but it's about time you stopped being such an overprotect—"

"What do you mean she went on the mission?" Klaus interrupted. "She hadn't cleared anything with me."

Ansel responded, but Klaus felt like there was wool plugging his ears as he tried to process that she was gone. She'd _left_.

He suspected that he knew why, and he'd never pegged Caroline as the type to run from her feelings. When she got back they'd be having words, he decided, fighting to suppress the small voice in his head saying ' _if she gets back'._

'If' was not an option.

* * *

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this :) Please let me know what you think! Favorite parts or lines? Predictions? Constructive criticism? Feedback inspires me and nothing makes me want to write more than knowing people are enjoying my work.

There's only one more part to go! :D


	3. Chapter 3

*Technically* for Space/Sci-Fi/Apocolypse day for KC AU Week, but it's late... Thank you to garglyswoof for beta work.

* * *

She loved flying.

It had been hard to return to it after Kol died. Every time she entered one of the vipers she could practically hear his last laugh over the communicator at his own joke before the abrupt explosion of a cylon ship making contact. Once she'd resolved to fight even harder instead of letting the memories of her best friend's death cow her into desk work, getting into the vipers for missions hadn't been as painful.

Now there was something about it that calmed her, the precision and concentration required freeing her from her thoughts by letting her immerse herself in the task at hand. She wasn't exactly an adrenaline junkie, she knew her limits and her strengths, and while this would have been a suicide mission for almost anyone else, she knew she could be up to the task.

There was also a small part of her that had wanted to get away.

She'd gone on three missions while Tyler was away, each one more dangerous than the last, the third barely getting Klaus's approval as her commanding officer, and even that was given with a nonverbal jerk of his head and stony-faced silence.

She'd gone over his head for this one, and she knew that he'd be livid when she got back, but it wasn't like she wanted to die. Caroline had always had a healthy sense of self-preservation. She just wasn't sure that she could handle looking Klaus in the eye. It wasn't fair to blame him for her and Tyler's breakup when Tyler had finally gotten back from the mission Klaus had sent him on, but she couldn't help but be resentful anyway.

They'd had a long talk. She'd cried. He'd been blank-faced and resolute. They both knew she couldn't love him the way they both wanted her to, and even though Tyler had insisted that he didn't mind, that he was willing to wait, it was cruel to put him through waiting for something that would never come, and she knew the guilt would eat at her until one of them walked away.

So yeah. She ran.

Even without that stress she was on edge. Every movement out of the corner of her eye of something that looked even vaguely like a cylon ship made her flinch. Scouting missions were often the most dangerous, despite how easy they sounded. There wasn't a lot of action, but you always had to be on your guard in case something went wrong, and people often weren't quick enough to realize they were in a messy situation until they were in pieces. Not only was she scouting, but she was also trying to destroy a cylon ship that had wandered into their orbit. It appeared to be alone, and a few shots to the ship's engine should be enough to make it spiral. The question was whether she'd be discovered before she could fire, and if she was, whether she could jump away in time.

Klaus would never have approved the mission for her, not because she couldn't do it, but because the objective bordered on unnecessary. Would it be nice to destroy a cylon ship? Yes, but it wasn't like it would win them the war. Klaus tended to be choosy on what missions he sent the good fliers on, and she definitely fell into that category, though she knew that a part of his reluctance was because he was just a _smidge_ overprotective.

Well, more than a smidge. Klaus was like every bad decision she could ever make wrapped up in one person. He was callous and rude and petty, had high expectations and was too stubborn to admit when he was wrong. He was infuriating and knew how to push her buttons, and giving in to him would be signing up for a lifetime of explosive fights and clashing beliefs.

But he also listened to her, was unfailingly honest, recognized her flaws for what they were and found her to be worth it despite all of her insecurities. He believed in her abilities, and though he didn't want to send her off on dangerous missions, she knew that he respected her enough not to stand in her way.

She wanted the passion he felt for her, the energy that crackled between them when they did as little as make eye contact. Every piece of him that was frustrating was equally exhilarating, the constant energy from their verbal sparring would ensure that it would never be boring.

She also craved the calmer moments, the thought of his stubble against her skin on lazy mornings and his dimpled smile that seemed to only emerge when he looked at her. The longing to wake up in his arms and feel like she belonged had often made her feel guilty. She had been able to rationalize her lust, but the little intimate moments she caught herself daydreaming about made her feel ashamed whenever she looked at Tyler's face.

She felt safe with Klaus, wanted him, _loved_ him.

And he loved her too.

If it was going to work, they both had to get out of their own way. She wasn't sure if she was prepared to do it, to put her fears aside and jump headfirst into the deep end. Klaus had so much power over her, and if things went wrong it could be a disaster. She also knew him well enough to guess that no matter how forward he'd been about his feelings, when the time came to show up he might be even more uncomfortable than she was.

Caroline was pulled from her thoughts by a loud bang, her ship suddenly spiraling out of control. She blindly grabbed for her communicator as she tried to steer one-handed. While making contact with the ship could give her position away to the enemy, she knew that if she didn't she could die.

"I've been ambushed. You need to jump," she said, and her last thought as her ship began to plummet towards a bright white light was that it figured that she'd die just as she'd had an epiphany about how she was in love with her commanding officer.

Of. Fracking. Course.

XXX

Caroline's heart was pounding as she stepped out of the viper, her legs slightly wobbly. Jeremy stood at the bottom of the steps, sticking his wrench back on his toolbelt and offering a hand to help her down. She took it, jumping down easily.

"Hey," she said brightly, frowning when she saw Jeremy's face, which seemed to be frozen in a state of wide-eyed shock. "What's wrong?"

"Um...uh...you..."

Caroline raised an eyebrow as Jeremy stuttered out a few disconnected words before managing to bleat that Ansel and Sheila were in the command room and maybe she should go talk to them.

She thanked him and made her way down the empty halls, her helmet under her arm. A weird reaction to be sure, but maybe he was just having an off day.

She walked into the room and saw Klaus, Ansel, and Sheila bent over a galaxy map. They looked up when she walked in, and Klaus's eyes widened slightly before he stood up fully, and she couldn't hold back a smile, rushing over in a few quick strides and letting him pull her into his arms. She buried her face in his neck, her fingers winding into the back of his shirt, savoring the feel of the hard planes of his body against hers. She had almost forgotten the familiar scent that cloaked him and the way the palm of his hand felt when it pressed against her lower back.

She reluctantly pulled away, ready to give her report to Ansel when he caught her lips in a kiss that dripped with desire and relief, his hands tightening around her waist. Once she'd recovered enough to kiss him back he was already pulling away, and she could see the horror and fear flash through his eyes as he stiffened, clearly only just processing what he'd done.

She smiled, resisting the urge to press her lips to his again, instead letting her fingertips drag down his shoulders, needing to reassure herself that she was _back,_ that she could _feel_ him. "Good to see you too, Captain."

Ansel cleared his throat from beside them and they sprang apart. Caroline cleared her own throat and turned to face her boss, but she could feel Klaus's eyes on her, sharp and calculating.

"I'm glad you're alive, Caroline," Ansel said quietly. "We thought the worst when we received your last message and lost contact."

Caroline let out a sharp breath, trying to gather her thoughts before she spoke. "Yeah. I mean, I remember my viper spiraling and a bright light, and I panicked and hit the jump button, and...I think I found a habitable planet."

"Beg pardon?" Klaus asked.

"A planet. A habitable planet," she said, feeling more excited with every word, the reality hitting her as she repeated the phrase. "It has running water and an oxygen level suitable for humans. I mean, I obviously didn't see much, but I think this could be _it_."

"Where?" Ansel asked. "We can jump—"

"Not yet. We need more scouts," Sheila interrupted, reaching to lay a hand on Ansel's arm. "We can't send our people into unknown territory. It's too dangerous."

"I trust Caroline's judgment, and we're nearly out of supplies."

Caroline frowned. How had they gone from being relatively comfortable with rations to being almost out in just a few days? Had something happened?

"It's not that I don't," Sheila said, sending Ansel a quelling look when it looked like he was about to interrupt. "And I do understand our situation. All I'm saying is that we should send a few soldiers out to look first."

"I can lead the command," Caroline offered. "Show people around?"

Ansel looked surprised at her offer, but seemed to consider it for a few moments before nodding. "If you feel up to it. I'll find some volunteers now. They can go out next week after you recuperate."

"Recuperate?"

"Next week is too soon," Klaus cut in, his words sharp. "Caroline needs rest. Probably some food and water as well. If she's going to lead the command she needs to be prepared."

"I'm fine, Klaus. Stop worrying."

"You most definitely are not."

"It's not your problem," Caroline snapped, glaring at him. "The sooner we do this, the sooner we can get off the ship and live our lives. Let me go."

Klaus visibly flinched, and Caroline belatedly realized how her words must have sounded to him, like she couldn't wait to get away from him, and his voice was low when he spoke next, his eyes flashing with resentment. "I'm your captain. I don't take orders from you, lieutenant."

"Seriously?"

"Go to the medical center and tell them that I want you evaluated and to get some rest. We'll talk later."

"Evaluated? For what? And I haven't even finished my report yet."

"Is there anything else especially urgent?"

"I mean, no, but—"

"Medical wing, then. That's an order."

"I'm fine, Klaus."

His eye flashed. "That's 'Captain' or 'Sir'. Perhaps you'd rather rest in the brig?"

Hurt swirled inside of her at his sharp, impersonal tone. Though he'd been angry with her before, he'd rarely been so cold.

"Not really, but I guess that's a call for you to make, _Captain_."

"Brig it is. Go."

She didn't move, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at him. "I mean, if you want to like, physically drag me or whatever, fine, but I think I should finish up my report first, _Sir_."

She'd meant to call his bluff, had been absolutely sure that he'd just grit his teeth and let her finish talking, but instead his hand shot out to grip her arm, his skin hot against hers. "Will you walk or would you rather I haul you over my shoulder and carry you in front of the entire ship? Because I will."

He had never been so aggressively overprotective, and she kind of wanted to strangle him. "What is wrong with you?" she snapped before turning to Ansel and Sheila. "Can I get some back-up here, please? This is ridiculous. I'm fine."

"Are you sure, Caroline?" Sheila asked quietly.

Caroline resisted the urge to roll her eyes, but only barely. "Of course! Like, sure I lost communication, but I've been gone for longer before. I was MIA for what, like, three days?"

Ansel and Sheila exchanged the sort of long look that only couples that had been together for years seemed to share, and Klaus was silent, though he looked more alert than before. "What?" Caroline pressed irritably. Ansel turned back to her, but Klaus spoke before he could, his tone clipped and harsh.

"Caroline, you've been gone for six months. We thought you'd died. Your closed-casket is set for next Tuesday."

Caroline's throat closed, all of the air seeming to rush from her lungs as everything about their reactions suddenly made infinitely more sense.

"Oh."

"Now, do I have to carry you to the brig or will you walk?" he repeated as though he hadn't just admitted that he'd been grieving her apparent death for six months.

"Klaus," she whispered, turning to face him, and his hand tightened around her arm as though he was worried she'd jerk away. "I didn't mean to—"

"Carry. Or. Walk?"

"Can we go somewhere private? My room, maybe?" she asked, bending closer so that only Klaus could hear her and trying to demonstrate with wide, imploring eyes that she wanted to talk, needed to. He stared at her stonily, his thoughts clearly racing before he seemed to steel himself to answer, his voice just as quiet, barely heard as Sheila and Ansel murmured to each other in the background.

"Katerina moved to your quarters, so it'll have to be somewhere else. If I take you to mine, do you promise to rest?"

Any other time she probably would have made a joke about him offering to take her to his bed, but she knew that now was _probably_ not the best time for that. "After we talk."

"All right," Klaus said, his eyes boring into hers before he turned to speak to his father, his voice returning to a normal volume. "I'm going to take Caroline to get some rest. I'll be back once she's settled."

"No, she still needs to give the rest of her report," Ansel said, and Klaus shook his head.

"As she said, it wasn't urgent."

Klaus's jaw was stubborn, his posture stiff even as his hand moved from her arm to the small of her back, and Ansel seemed to recognize that he wasn't going to back down, instead nodding. "Once she's rested," he said finally. "Dismissed."

Klaus steered her out of the room before she could even salute, and they walked in a weirdly loaded silence. When they finally arrived at Klaus's quarters, he stood aside to let her in and shut the door behind them. It was just as she remembered, bare and utilitarian other than a single painting he'd done when they were still on Caprica and a framed photo of him with his half-siblings, his and Kol's arms around each other, both with wide grins on their faces. She tore her eyes away from the photo of her best friend, turning to look at Klaus. He was also staring at the picture, clearly having followed her gaze to where she'd been looking, his face stony. He was leaning against the wall in what might have been a casual stance if she didn't know him well enough to note the slightly stiff posture and the set of his jaw, and she bit her lip when he turned to meet her eyes. "Talk, then," he said.

He sounded more tired than anything else, and she sighed, boosting herself up to sit on his desk, picking up a pen to fiddle with it as she gathered her thoughts before swallowing and raising her head to look at him.

"I'm sorry that I went on the mission without telling you," she said, trying not to let her voice shake. "I didn't mean to make you worry."

"Well, you did."

"I'm sorry," she repeated, and he waited for a few more seconds before sighing.

"If that's all, I'll get you something to sleep in, shall I?"

"That's not all," she said quickly, and she steeled herself for what she was about to say, forcing herself to look him in the eye. "I thought about you a lot when I was flying. Us, I mean."

He raised an eyebrow, though his mouth seemed to set even more, his posture stiffening. "Us," he repeated slowly.

"Yeah. I think I've always loved you. Well, not always, but for a really long time."

She felt like she was shouting in the silence of the room, the air pressing around her and stealing the breath from her lungs when his eyes met hers.

"Is that so?"

She tried to scoff but the air caught in her throat, her heart pounding in her chest. She swallowed again. "You knew that. You told me that yourself, that you knew I had feelings for you that I wasn't admitting to myself, and I did. I mean, I do," she said, letting out a sharp breath, nerves building in her gut as she realized that she might truly be too late. "And look, it's been six months since we last saw each other and you thought I died, and if you're over me I get it, but I just want you to know that you are the person I want to be with, that I've always wanted to be with. It was just...acknowledging our connection was hard. I was scared."

His fingers twitched, arms flinching as though he wanted to reach out and touch her, and she realized her skin was burning for him, the heat in his eyes as they roved her face sending a shiver down her spine.

"And you think I'm not?" he spat, and she flinched at how _angry_ he sounded. "Do you think this has been easy for me, Caroline? Knowing you want _me_ , seeing the heat in your eyes directed at _me_ before you led Lockwood away by the collar? Watching your pretty hips sway as you walk away and glance over your shoulder to taunt _me_? I knew there was a possibility that you would never leave him, that I'd spend the rest of my life desperately craving you as I watched you go through the motions with someone you've admitted to my face wasn't right for you. I couldn't shake you. I've spent the last six months trying to forget you and I can't. You strung me along without a care in the world for years knowing that I'd always choose you and _you're_ scared?"

"Klaus, I—"

"You wrecked me. You made me _weak_ and I hate it, and yet I can't let you go."

"Then don't," she said, trying to fight down the natural surge of defensiveness about her mistakes that she knew would only make things worse. "I know that what I did wasn't fair to you or Tyler, and I'm sorry. But I made my choice now, and I choose you. I love you."

Her heart skipped a beat as he walked towards her, his steps light and predatory, the look of pure want on his face making her nipples tighten under her uniform. Her head tipped back to hold his gaze when he arrived in front of her, his body between her legs, palms face down beside her hips to trap her on the desk's surface.

She watched as his eyes darted from hers to her lips and back, anticipation and nerves stirring in her gut. He smelled really good and his body heat was comforting and warm around her. She felt her heart pound in her chest from the anticipation of what she was sure was about to happen. She'd been waiting for this for so long, had resisted for what felt like forever, and she _wanted_ this.

Him.

She raised her face slightly to brush her lips over his, the light touch as electric as it was fleeting, and she waited for him to kiss her back, to touch her, to do _something_ , but he didn't. Instead he spoke, his tone rough and demanding in a way that she probably shouldn't have found hot.

"Do not _ever_ go behind my back on a mission again. Do you understand?"

She swallowed and nodded, leaning into his touch when one of his palms moved to cradle the back of her head, the other settling on her hip to steady her.

"And you're all right?" he asked quietly, his eyes flicking down her body and back to her face. "No injuries? You're sure?"

"I'm sure."

"Good," he said, his fingers sliding up her waist to brush over the buttons of her uniform jacket, the light touch making her skin prickle. "I'm glad you're safe."

"Me too."

He seemed to search her face, clearly conflicted about something, before he pressed his lips to her forehead and pulled back, the loss of his warmth and scent uncomfortable. "I need to go finish my report for the day. I'll be back as soon as I can."

She frowned. It hurt that he was walking out on her as soon as she'd confessed her feelings for him, that she'd never really gotten an answer on what he wanted.

"I'll also tell my father that short of the cylons initiating a full-scale invasion, I'll be unavailable tonight," he said, seeming to guess the direction her thoughts were heading. "Make no mistake, sweetheart, I intend to draw that confession from your lips as many times as possible tonight. I'll map every inch of you with my fingers and mouth when I return. I want to see the way you look spread across my sheets, whether your lips part and your breath catches when I touch your clit with my tongue. I want to memorize your taste, watch you tremble against my hands as I stroke the backs of your thighs. Once you're oversensitive and soaking I'll see how you look bent over my desk, your pretty arse in the air for me as I take you. My hand could never compare to how your pussy will feel tight and wet around my cock, I'm sure. Would you like that?"

"Yeah?" she half-asked, her voice embarrassingly breathless at the way the words rolled off his tongue, her core throbbing almost painfully, aching for his touch. If she hadn't already been secretly fantasizing about those very things for the past few years she most _definitely_ would have been now.

He gave her the smuggest smile she'd ever seen on him, which was honestly kind of impressive considering what a smug asshole he was in general.

"Caroline Forbes speechless for me? It's certainly a day to remember."

"Ha. Hilarious."

"Not to worry, love. I think I like you better when you're talkative."

"I'll take that under consideration," she said dryly. "You're kind of ruining the moment, you know."

Another smirk and a few quick strides toward her and he was back in her space, his fingers tangling in her hair as he leaned forward to press his lips to hers in a slow, passionate kiss that made her melt against him. "I'll amend my statement: I like you better screaming my name and begging for more."

"You've never heard me do it. How would you know?"

"Is that a challenge?" he asked with a wicked grin.

Her lips twitched and she reached to cup his face, pulling his lips to hers for a kiss that was rougher, more heated, and they both pulled back with swollen lips and pounding hearts. "Go finish your report. I'll take a shower while I wait. Probably steal some of your food, too."

"And how am I supposed to concentrate knowing that you're naked and waiting in my shower? I've fantasized for years about how the water would look dripping so beautifully over your breasts, clinging to your skin."

"I mean, if it's okay with you I think I'll stick around for awhile, and usually I do shower once a day. You should probably get used to the idea of me naked in your shower pretty frequently."

He gave her a rare dimpled smile that he seemed to reserve just for her. "I'd like nothing more."

"Great!" she said cheerfully, gently setting her hands on his chest and pushing him away. "I'm starting as soon as I get out whether you're back or not, so hurry."

He gave her a last soft kiss, one that was drawn-out and full of unspoken promises before he left.

* * *

Thanks for reading! Do you have any favorite parts or lines? Did you like their conversation? Did you think it was IC? Do you have any other thoughts? Reviews and feedback are the only way I get better, and I always appreciate hearing your thoughts!

This was supposed to be the last chapter and tbh I think it wraps up nicely, but I feel like if I don't follow-through on smut after the fade to black I might get killed in my sleep, so hopefully I'll get that done soon-ish.


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry this took so long. Hopefully the ending is worth it!

* * *

"I think we'll be safe for another scouting mission just to make sure," Klaus said, noting Sheila's nod and his father's reluctant murmur of agreement.

"Is that all then?" Ansel asked after a moment.

Klaus hesitated for a moment before nodding. He knew that he should disclose to his father that he was with Caroline, but he almost couldn't believe it himself.

Ansel gave him a searching look but didn't press, finally saluting quickly. "Dismissed."

Klaus didn't bother to return it, just walking back to his quarters with his hands in his pockets, shooting filthy looks at anyone stupid enough to get in his way until the scurried out of his path. If the soldiers knew he was in a mood they would be less likely to bother him.

Nerves built in his gut as he approached his door. He half-expected that he'd go back and find that she'd changed her mind, that her clothes and bag would be gone and she'd convinced Bonnie to take her in until they found new quarters for her, but he felt his entire body relax when the first thing he saw was her on her side in his bed. She was asleep in his shirt, her blonde hair making wet spots on the fabric, her lips slightly parted. He couldn't help but long to pick up some paper and sketch her, but he managed to refrain.

It made sense that she was exhausted. He had no idea how she'd only thought she'd been gone for a few days and was determined to figure out what happened to her. Memory loss, perhaps? In any case, she still wouldn't have had access to a safe place to sleep. He was perfectly content to let her. She'd need her energy, after all. He fully intended on touching every inch of her, finding what made her tick, what made her quiver in his arms.

"You're staring," she mumbled suddenly, one of her eyes cracking open.

"Sorry, love."

"It's fine. I'm sorry I fell asleep. I totally intended to start without you, but your bed is really comfy."

He grinned. "Don't be sorry, sweetheart. I'm sure you're exhausted, and I would rather you were awake for what I have planned."

"Intriguing," she said, her voice still scratchy, a yawn escaping her moments later, and he tried his best to hold back a laugh.

"Go back to sleep."

She hummed, her arm moving out to clumsily shove the covers down on the left side of the bed before looking at him pointedly. His shoes and socks were by the door in a few seconds, the rest of his uniform following, and he slid into bed beside her, unable to resist slinging an arm around her waist to trace the line of her spine. She didn't seem to mind, her legs tangling with his almost immediately, though she didn't lean in, her eyes open now, drinking him in, her palm moving to rest on his shoulder.

"You didn't think I'd be here when you got back," she said quietly. It wasn't a question, but he nodded anyway, knew the movement was jerky and sharp, but he couldn't shake the irrational anger that she knew him so well, that she could read him like that. She sighed, her palm moving from his shoulder to the back of his neck, fiddling with his curls. "I love you. I'm not going anywhere. Okay?"

"Okay," he repeated, bending to kiss her forehead.

"And you aren't either? Going anywhere, I mean?" she asked, the syllables running together as a single word, and he could tell that she'd been afraid to ask.

"No," he said quietly. "I promise."

She gave him a radiant smile, moving to kiss him softly, her lips lingering on his for a few moments as though she was trying to memorize the feel of them before she pulled back, brushing his nose with hers in a gesture that he knew would be disgustingly sweet from anyone else. From Caroline it just felt...right.

"Good."

He wasn't tired, but he let Caroline drift off in his arms, content to doze along with her or watch the way her eyelashes fluttered every now and then, her breathing slow and even. She opened her eyes again about an hour later with a soft groan. "Feel better, sweetheart?"

"Kinda," she mumbled. "What time do I have to actually get up?"

"I'm not sure. I doubt you'll be sent on a mission."

She hummed before her eyes flew open as though she'd just had some sort of epiphany. "Oh my god I must have so much to do! Who's teaching the baby pilots right now? Is it someone terrible? _Please_ tell me it's not Damon. Gods, he'd screw up _so bad_. I need to be debriefed too, right? I missed so much if I've been gone for six months. Have there been any attacks since I left? Do we need to-"

"Katerina is teaching the new pilots. I'm helping a bit. You have missed a few developments, but no calamities have occurred since you left," he assured her, fiddling with her curls. "I suppose that the first order of business is canceling your funeral."

Caroline snorted, her body relaxing into his again. "What's your other choice? Throwing me off the ship for funsies?"

"I considered it," he said dryly. "I thought I was hallucinating or that a cylon figured out how to recreate your body."

"You still kissed me."

"I thought I'd never get the chance. Cylon or not," he said, trying to keep his voice light, but she worried her lip between her teeth, tangling her fingers with his. "Either way, I realized that it was you when your lack of tact reared its ugly head. A cylon would never have known that you're so rude to your commanding officer."

Her lips were twisted in a soft smile, and she squeezed his hand lightly before schooling her expression into something that could pass as irritation, despite the sparkle of mischief in her eyes.

" _I_ was rude? You were ready to drag me off to the brig like a caveman."

He shrugged. "With good intentions."

"Yeah, well, I didn't appreciate it."

He gave her an unrepentant smirk and she rolled her eyes, wriggling closer against him with her chin tucked in his shoulder. "Seriously. You don't get to tell me what to do."

"Well..." he began, unable to resist taking the opening she gave him, and she interrupted him before he could make a joke about being her commanding officer.

"Look, I'll follow directions on the field, but this relationship outside of that is a two-way street, got it?"

"I would never dream of assuming you'd follow my every order," he drawled, and she snorted.

"Um...you've probably dreamed about it _a lot_. I would not put it past you to have a kink for me calling you by your rank."

"Caroline..."

She pulled back, her eyes wide and deceptively innocent. "What, am I wrong?"

He knew he'd hesitated for a second too long when she gave him a smug smirk. "I knew it."

It wasn't that he was ashamed. Far from it, if he was being honest. In fact, he had a feeling that she wouldn't tease him about it as much if she didn't share the inclination, and he was looking forward to exploring that. No, he just wanted to make sure that she understood that she was to be kept as safe as possible.

"Caroline, all I'm attempting to convey is that I'd very much prefer you to not put yourself in unnecessary mortal danger. As your commanding officer, I can assure you that your skills are vital in our efforts to win this war. When we thought you'd died we had to adjust our entire strategy. Perhaps I might have overreacted a bit, partly because you're a valuable asset and partly because I love you and it's difficult to see you in any pain or discomfort. I understand that it wasn't the most professional thing for me to try to put you in the brig-"

"Yeah, it really wasn't. You literally were about to pick me up and haul me off. I could tell."

"-I'm not above blurring the lines to keep you as safe as I can, considering the circumstances," he finished.

She looked like she wanted to argue for a second before wrinkling her nose and letting her head drop back onto the pillow. "If you insist, Captain."

"I do."

She made a soft grumbling noise that made him grin before suddenly perking up, blonde curls tumbling down from her shoulders to tickle his nose. "What was that middle part again?"

"What, love?"

A smirk spread across her face as she bent to press her forehead against his. "You said you love me."

"I should think that would have been obvious."

"Klaus Mikaelson, king of stunted emotional expression loves _me_."

"Now that's rather rude—"

"I never claimed to be polite, but it's a good thing you love me anyway..."

"Careful with that pretty mouth, Lieutenant."

"You know I won't be, Captain," she said, shifting into a more comfortable position with her back pressed against his chest and relaxing into his arms. "As we've already established, you have a thing for it."

He lifted the hem of the shirt he'd leant her, his palm lingering on the soft skin of her ribcage. "Your mouth or you calling me by my rank? I've admitted to neither of those allegations."

"It's always the guilty ones whose response to accusations is 'you have no proof'," she teased. "However, I fully intend on making you admit both of them during our sexathon, which I've tentatively scheduled for tomorrow morning."

"Scheduled? You just admitted yourself that you don't know what you're doing tomorrow."

"I know _who_ I'm doing," she half-sang, her hand wandering down his side.

"Goodnight, Lieutenant," he said, his voice tinged with a clear warning, and he felt her shiver in his arms.

He'd been right.

"Goodnight, Captain," she teased, and he groaned, his cock twitching against her bare thigh through the fabric of his boxers.

"Later," he said, and he wasn't quite sure which one of them he was trying to reassure.

 **XXX**

Caroline hummed to herself as she stepped out of Klaus's obnoxiously awesome shower. Apparently being the son of the general had its perks, because the water pressure on hers was about a thousand times worse. After some snooping she'd found what looked like a clean towel in the cabinet above the sink and she wrapped it around herself, finger combing her hair. Since she'd gotten a few hours more of sleep than Klaus, she'd woken up in his arms to find him dead to the world, and decided to take the opportunity to clean up and prep herself for rocking his world.

She had _plans_. She had for years. Sure, she'd never expected to actually be able to follow through, but now that she had the chance, she was here for it.

She finally found an actual comb in his bathroom drawer and begun to tug it through her hair to get out the knots, grimacing at the stabs of pain but fighting through it. He was a light sleeper, and time was of the essence. Once she was done, she poked her head out to see whether Klaus was still asleep (yep) before letting the towel fall and tip-toeing towards the bed.

She'd contemplated slipping out to ask Katherine if she knew where her belongings were—clothing was too precious to throw away, but nothing got given away until the funeral—because she had a lingerie set she saved from before the invasion that made her boobs look fantastic. She decided in the end that it wouldn't stay on for long anyway and she wanted to be there when Klaus woke up.

She straddled him over the blankets and bent down to press a kiss to his cheek, ignoring his grumble of annoyance at being disturbed. "Klaus..."

"What?" he asked, his eyes opening blearily. She could see the evolution from sleepy confusion to appreciation to want, and grinned as his hand moved up to cup her breast, his thumb brushing over her nipple, which was puckering from the cool air. "I'd hoped to undress you myself, you know," he said, his amusement clear.

"I was trying to be efficient. Plus I don't have clothes."

"We'll have to rectify that," he murmured, his fingers now skating over her collarbone, his eyes fixed on her face. "Later."

"Yeah," she breathed, shivering at his light touch to her neck, goosebumps prickling her skin. "I guess so."

He gave her a dimpled smile, the one that always made her heart leap in her chest, and she bent to press her lips to his. The kiss started out soft and slow, though it soon picked up speed, his teeth nipping her lower lip to encourage her to open up, hands steady on her waist. A small part of her had been nervous that after they'd confessed their feelings the shine of the unresolved sexual tension would fade and their chemistry would fall flat, but from the way her heart was pounding in her chest and heat was prickling under her skin, it was clear that she shouldn't have worried.

His hands were everywhere, calloused palms deliciously rough against the skin of her waist. His tongue slipped into her mouth, sliding along the back of her teeth and she sucked it between her lips, pulling away to smile as he groaned, grinding against her thigh through the blankets.

His eyes were magnetic, their gazes meeting as she gently tugged his wrist from her waist to guide his hand to the apex of her thighs. He groaned at the first brush of his fingers to her slick skin, and she moaned as he quickly found her clit, his fingertip moving in tight circles. "That feels good," she breathed, her forehead dropping to rest on his shoulder, and she heard him laugh quietly before his hand withdrew, settling on her hip, the wetness of her arousal clinging to his fingertips slick against her skin. "Why'd you stop?"

"I told you, I want to taste you," he said, the words a low growl that made her heart pound in anticipation. She managed to keep her mind enough to shake her head. Her fingers itched to map every inch of him and she desperately wanted to discover the feel of the hard ridges of his abs against her fingertips and the heat of his cock in the palm of her hand.

"I've wanted to touch you for so long—"

"And I've wanted to _taste_ for longer," he said, his calloused palms caressing her hips in a way she'd never thought could feel so good, and he tugged lightly to encourage her forward, the blankets deliciously rough against her aching core. "Let me."

She bit her lip, unable to look away from his dark, wanting eyes. It was intoxicating, the feeling of being wanted, of knowing that he'd been waiting to taste her, fantasizing about what it would feel like to touch. "Klaus..."

"Come here," he said, and she started to roll off of him, but he held fast steadying her hips. "Here, Caroline."

She edged forward on her knees, Klaus nudging her towards his face encouragingly. "Put your hands on the headboard, sweetheart," he said softly, and she obeyed immediately, her breath catching as he nudged her center towards his mouth, his tongue brushing over her clit. His groan of satisfaction at her taste combined with the dig of his nails against the flesh of her ass almost made her come right then, and he seemed to know it too, his low chuckle making her flush. "You like that, love?" he asked, his lips brushing against her slick folds as he spoke, stubble scratching pleasurably against her inner thigh.

"Yeah," she breathed, rolling her hips to try to encourage him, looking down at him as he obligingly pressed his tongue inside of her.

He watched her with dark eyes, focused intently as though he was cataloguing every reaction she had for further reflection. She felt breathless, her fingers curling tightly around the headboard. Every sensation was almost too much, the slick pressure from his tongue combined with the bite of his nails against her skin coaxing out an embarrassingly desperate-sounding moan of his name.

She felt one of his hands leave her skin, his arm brushing her hip as he reached around her, and she heard the rustle of fabric before he groaned. She could tell he was stroking himself as he easily built her up, and it only turned her on more to know that he couldn't resist. Every stroke of his tongue pushed her closer to the edge, and she couldn't look away from his eyes, too lost in how much he clearly _wanted_ her. The way he groaned when she rolled her hips, greedy for more of _that thing_ he kept doing with his tongue, her words garbled and almost indistinguishable when she tried to articulate what she needed, only managing to gasp out, " _More_."

His hand moved to squeeze her ass, his other arm still brushing against her as he stroked his cock. She felt the tip of his finger press against her back entrance, the sensation enough to make her thighs quiver, and she finally broke eye contact to let her head fall back as she came, the sounds Klaus was making as he lapped at her arousal deliciously filthy.

Her heart was pounding as her breathing slowed, her shoulders slumping slightly, arms shaking. He groaned, shifting underneath her, and she reached behind her to still his wrist. "Let me," she said, moving back to straddle his chest before clumsily turning around so that she was bent over him, her legs still feeling a bit like jelly. A shiver darted down her spine when she felt his hot breath on her inner thigh, his stubble brushing against the sensitive skin before he pressed a kiss to it.

"Turn, sweetheart. I want to see your face while you suck my cock."

The words made her cheeks heat, her breath catching in her throat. It wasn't the dirtiest thing she'd ever heard, not by a long shot, but the way the syllables rolled out of his mouth made it by far the hottest. "Keep talking," she ordered as she turned around, pressing a few open mouthed kisses to his abs as she moved down, the scrape of her teeth against his hipbone making his hips jerk, a groan rumbling low in his throat.

"You like it, love?"

She smiled, yanking down his sleep pants, throwing them to the side. "Yeah. A lot."

"Good to know," he murmured, watching her intently as she gathered her hair over one shoulder and bent to flick the tip of his cock with her tongue. She drank every movement in, committing every reaction to memory, trying to suss out what he liked best. She massaged his balls lightly and scraped her teeth along the top of his shaft before sucking hard to soothe the bite, humming in satisfaction as his fingers curled into the sheets, his teeth gritting. He never took his eyes away from her as she slowly took him into her mouth, focused on her face as though trying to memorize every single detail. His eyes were dark, his lips slightly parted, and she hummed around him when he groaned out her name, his fingers tangling in her hair. "Is this all right?" he managed to bite out, tugging her hair lightly, and she made an embarrassingly needy sound before she could stop herself, her nails digging into his thighs. He laughed quietly, the sound making her rub her thighs together, already aching for friction. "That's a yes, then. I'll admit I've thought of you like this often. I've had so many fantasies of you naked and wet and sensitive, your body still quivering with aftershocks as you take me in your mouth. I pictured the way you'd moan around my cock when I tug your pretty curls between my fingers. I had a feeling you liked it a bit rough, sweetheart. I can't wait to explore all of the possibilities. I have so many filthy things I want to do to you, Caroline. I've had _years_ to come up with hundreds of sinful ways to make you moan my name."

She pulled back, still stroking him with one hand and massaging his balls with the other. "Yeah? Tell me."

He grinned, fiddling with her curls and groaning as she slowly took him back into her mouth, her cheeks hollowing as she bobbed up and down. "I've imagined you with your legs spread for my cock, your eyes heavy-lidded as I fuck you hard and fast. I want to take you just before a mission, to watch you walk into the command room with your hair mussed and your skin dripping with my scent. I want everyone to know who you belong to, sweetheart. You finally chose to give yourself to me, and you did so knowing that I wouldn't let you go."

She hummed, suddenly feeling unbearably empty. She pulled back, licking her lips and holding eye contact. "More."

"Put your mouth back on me and perhaps I will."

"So you _do_ have a thing for my mouth."

He chuckled, his mouth twisting from a wicked smirk to something more tender, the way he looked at her filling her with a heat that was almost hotter than the lust-filled gaze he'd had the whole morning. "I have a thing for you," he said, the simplicity of the words making her heart lurch in her chest, and she couldn't help the bright smile that spread across her face.

"I have a _thing_ for you too, Captain," she teased, laughing as he managed to somehow pull her up and roll them over in what felt like a single natural movement, and her giggles turned into a moan as he sheathed himself inside of her.

* * *

Thank you so much for sticking with me through this fic! It was a blast to write. Thank you to Kelly for her general betaing fabulousness. This is dedicated to Melissa and Laura, both of whom are wonderful lovely ladies that make my days brighter.

If you liked this and want to check out my other fics, I have quite a few. You can follow me on tumblr at thetourguidebarbie if you are so inclined, or on my barely-used twitter at AngieWritesKC.

I love constructive criticism and feedback, and I'd love to know what you thought of this story! Was the ending believable? Did you like how they got together? Did you enjoy the smut? Any favorite parts or lines? Thank you again for reading and your feedback that keeps me so inspired! You guys are fantastic.

Hugs!


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